DpprDr, I really like your boots sir. They're very unique and have a classic profile. Do they have double leather soles and are they sufficiently comfortable and constructed, as apposed to a Goodyear welted boot like an Alden or Crockett & Jones, to justify their extra cost? Thanks, BeSpiff

Anyone tried burnishing their vass? I've ward that boxcalf is resistant to accepting pigments and is more water resistant as well.

Yes, it's no problem. Only thing is that it takes a while to get a shine at first, since it's just very briefly polished at the workshop, most manufacturers use a lot more cream and polish before sending the shoes out.

Box calf is a name for chrome tanned calf, and it can take pigments very well. I think you confuse things with aniline dyed calf, which is when for example box calf is dyed in an aniline bath and the whole leather is colored all the way through. This is a bit harder to burnish than crust leather (leather who just have been colored on the surface), but it's no problem doing it, just takes a bit more time.

DpprDr, I really like your boots sir. They're very unique and have a classic profile. Do they have double leather soles and are they sufficiently comfortable and constructed, as apposed to a Goodyear welted boot like an Alden or Crockett & Jones, to justify their extra cost? Thanks, BeSpiff

Hey BeS, thanks for the compliments. The boots do have double leather sole and constructed well. I've only worn them a handful of times so it's hard to compare the comfort since my Aldens have lots of miles on them and are broken in effectively. The finish is not as glossy as Alden but I was able to have whatever design I wanted and a turnover time of less than 3 months (which cannot be said of Alden).

The premium would be for construction, flexibility of styles/leathers, and quick turnaround. Since Alden is not getting any whiskey shell outs anytime soon, it was an acceptable price difference. C&J's attention to detail is much better (as a result of a factory model I assume) but the Vass idiosyncrasies are minor (e.g., the loop of one boot is stitched higher); a C&J MTO is also more than what Vass offers.

Hope this helps! There are a few guys who did a group MTO for some whiskey C&J boots so you can get info from them too. I'm pretty happy with what Vass produced for me.